Check-perforating machine.



v No. 709,458. 4 Patented Sept. 23, |902, A

` F. AVERY.

cHEcK PEnFonATI'Na momma.

y (Appumin medapr. 19, -moar.) N o H o d el UNITED rSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK AVERY, OF ORIN, VYOMING.

CHECK-PERFORATING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 709,458, dated September 23, 1902.

Applicationiiled April 19,1902. Serial No. 103,772. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

p Be it known that I, FRANK AVERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Orin, in the county of Converse and State of Wyoming, have invented a new and useful Check- Perforating Machine, ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvei ments in devices of that class employed for punching numerals on checks, drafts, and similar articles to designate monetary values, and has for its principal object to provide a simple and compact device of the class which may be carried in the pocket without inconvenience.

A further object of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction of the mechanism by providing for the ready adjustment of any desired numeral-punch to the operating-point and to render more certain the registration of the die and matrix during the punching operation.

With these and other objects in view the invention Aconsists in j the novel construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed ont in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation on the line 1 1 lof Fig. 2 of a check-punching machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, showing the upper casing open.v Fig. 3 `is an enlarged detail sectional `view through one of the male dies, the female die, and stripper. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the female die. Fig. 5 is anelevation of the device, showing the exterior dust-guard. Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modified construction. Fig. 7 is a de'tail perspective View of the die-carrier shown in i Fig. 6.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding part-s throughout the several figures of the drawings.

It is intended that the device shall resemble an ordinary watch in size and appearance, so that it may be readily carried in the pocket in readiness for use at any time.

The base 10 is provided with a cover 11, hinged thereto at 12, a suitable spring, such as a watchcase-spring, being employed for `of the bed.

the purpose of automatically opening the lid or cover when the latter is released by pressure exerted on the knob 13. The construction of this portion of the mechanism may for convenience be that followed in watchcases of ordinary type. In the center of the base is a spindle 14, which may take the form of a screw, said spindle serving to support a revoluble disk 15, the lower surface of which is arranged at a short distance above the top In the lower surface of the disk, at a point near the periphery thereof, are a series of equidistantly spaced recesses adapted for the reception of suitably-shaped -male dies 17, having stems projecting through small openings formed in the top of-the disk Aand terminating in enlarged heads 19, the

dies being normally held in elevated position by coiled compression-springs 20, extending between the head 19 and the top of the disk. Each die-block is provided with a projecting `stud 21, adapted to a vertical groove 22 in `the wall of the recess to prevent any rotative movement of the block, or the blocks may be angular in form for a similar pur-pose.

On the under side of the various blocks are perforated pins 23, arranged in suitable order to form the numerals from O to 9' inelusive, and an additional block being provided with pins arranged to form a dollarmark or other distinguishing-mark, in accordance with the class of money for which the check or draft is drawn.

At a point immediately under the pins 12 the base 10 is provided with a slot 25, into which the check or other article to be perforated is inserted, this slot being closed when `the device is not in use by a circumferentially-adjustable baud 27, having a finger-engaging portion 2S and provided with a slot 29 for the reception'of the stem of the caseknob. This band is further provided with a slot 30, which may be adjusted to register with the slot and the casin g when it is desired to insert a check and serves as a means of excluding dust and dirt while the device is being carried in the pocket.

Immediately above the base 10 is mounted a female die 30, comprising a plate or disk preferably formed of thin sheet metal and IOO providedwith a plurality of openings 31, ar-

ranged in such manner as to receive and register with the perforating-pins of all of the male dies. At a point slightly above the female die is a stripper 32, having an opening 33 to permit the passage of the male die and serving to prevent upw-ard movement of the paper as the male dies return to normal position after perforating the paper.

When the lid or cover 11 is opened, the knobs 19 may be engaged for the purpose of adjusting any of the dies to a position in alinement with the female die, and each knob 19 bears onits uppersurface the numbervalue of the die. Proper registration of the dies is provided for by forming a suitable recess 33 in radial alinement with each of the dies, said recesses being preferably formed in the lower side of the disk 15 and adapted to be engaged by a suitable spring 34. In addition to this -the periphery of the disk may be provided with notches 35, adapted to be engaged by a spring-pawl 36, carried by a fixed portion of the case'. In the head of each die-block is formed a slot or recess 38, all of such slots being on lines radiating from the center of rotation of the disk and adapted for the reception of the lower edge of a curved lug 39, projecting inwardly from the lid or cover 11, the downward or closing of the cover serving to depress the desired male die and force the perforating-pins of the latter through the check and into the female die. Below the female die is a passage 40, leading to the outside of the base, t'o permit the escape of the material punched from the paper.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description; but as a means of guiding the user in the proper adjustment of the check to be punched the upper edge of the base 10 is preferably provided with an opening 4l for the reception of a pin 42, adapted to be engaged by the lid or cover and serving to mark the check or other paper being perforated, so that by passing the check to the left after each operation until the indenture made by t-he marker comes into View it will show the position to punch the next character.

The construction may be simplified by constructing the disk in the manner shown in Figs. 6 and 7., In this case the disk 15 is provided with a centrally-disposed stud 14', adapted to a recess 45 in the base 10,a threaded stein 46, projecting from the lower face of the stud through a suitable opening below the recess 45, the outer end of the stem having an adjustable nut 47 for regulating the distance between the lower surface of the disk and the top of the base lO. The disk in this construction is maintained in elevated position by a single spring 48, surrounding the threaded stem and situated within the recess 45. The perforating-pins in this instance are arranged directly on the lower surface of the disk, and the knobs 19', with which the lug 39 makes contact, are arranged somewhat closer to the center of the disk than the knobs of the male dies shown in Fig. 1. The selectling-numerals may be placed on the upper surface of the disk at a point near the periphery thereof, as indicated in Fig. 7. In the operation of this mechanism the disk as a whole is depressed at each operation as distinguished from the successive depression of the separate die-blocks in the structure shown in Fig. 1.

The device is of simple construction and may be so made as to resemble a small watch in appearance, and While the construction herein described, and illustrated in the accompanyin g drawings,is the preferred form of the device it is obvious that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. A pocket check-protector comprising a watch-like casing having a base portion, a revoluble die-support mounted on the base, a plurality of perforating-dies carried by the support, and a protecting lid or cover hinged to the base and serving when closed to cover and protect all of the dies, said lid or cover forming a lever for effecting the depression of said dies.

2. A device of the class specified, comprising a base,a revoluble disk supported thereby, perforating-dies carried by said disk, a cover hinged to the base and forming an actuatinglever for engaging with the dies, said cover being movable to open position to permit the adjustment of the disk and serving when closed to protect all of the dies, and a female die and stripper for coperation with all of such dies.

3. A device of the class specified, comprisin ga base,a revoluble disk supported thereby, a series of perforating-dies supported by said disk and adjustable to operative position by the movement of thedisk, and a lid or cover hinged to the base, and movable to open position to permit the adjustment of the dies, said lid having a projecting lug for operative contact with an adjusted die during a closing movement of said lid.

4. A device of the class specified, comprising a base,a revolubledisk supported thereby, a series of perforating-dies carried by the disk, springs tending to hold said dies in elevated position, slotted heads carried by said dies, anda hinged lid or cover having a depending lug for engagement in said slotted heads, the slot in each head being disposed in the plane of movement of the lug.

5. A device of the class specified, comprising a base having a receiving-slot for the material to be cut, a revoluble disk supported by the base, a series of perforating-dies carried by the disk, and a hinged lid or cover movable to open position to permit the adjustment of the dies and adapted during closing movement to depress and force a selected die through the material inserted in the slot.

IOO

IIO

6. A device of the class specied, comprising a base `having a check-receiving slot, a

i revoluble disk, dies carried thereby, springs carried by the base and adapted for engagement in recesses in the disk thereby to hold said disk in an adjusted position, a hinged cover for coperation with the dies, and a marking device'cornprising an interengaging pin and opening for marking the article to be Witnesses:

CEAS. F. MARNER, ROBT. F. POTTER, Jr. 

